Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their usual hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
